Child Mortality (under 5) in South Korea: 1800 to Today (and Tomorrow)

Behind every statistic lies a profound human reality. For South Korea, the story across three centuries is below — every value is a statistical fact about the lives actually lived there. Of every 1,000 children born, how many died before their fifth birthday is a fundamental measure of society's trajectory. In the 1800s estimate, the numbers reveal a heavy burden carried by families across generations, where early loss was a frequent and tragic visitor in almost every household.

The historical arc traces a monumental transformation across decades. In the 1800s estimate, child mortality (under 5) stood at 302.4 per 1,000 births, easing slowly through the 1810s estimate at 295.57, the 1820s estimate at 288.74, the 1830s estimate at 281.9, the 1840s estimate at 275.07, the 1850s estimate at 268.24, the 1860s estimate at 261.41, the 1870s estimate at 254.58, the 1880s estimate at 247.74, and the 1890s estimate at 240.91. By 1900 it was 234.08 per 1,000 births, captured in the 1900s estimate. The decline continued through the 1910s estimate at 209.79, the 1920s estimate at 185.5, the 1930s estimate at 161.22, the 1940s estimate at 136.93, the 1950s at 112.64, the 1960s at 83.25, the 1970s at 53.87, the 1980s at 24.48, the 1990s at 17.56, the 2000s at 10.64, and the 2010s at 6.82.

For anyone arriving in the 2020s, child mortality (under 5) in South Korea stands at 3 per 1,000 births — ranking #9 of 157 countries. Looking ahead, the 2030s projection anticipates 2.4, the 2040s projection expects 1.92, the 2050s projection reaches 1.54, and the 2060s projection, 2070s projection, 2080s projection, 2090s projection, and 2100s projection all settle at 1.5. Where do YOU rank among everyone ever born? →